Govt to help HTM loanee repay their loan

State Government would help loanee farmers who had obtained loan from nationalised banks under Horticulture Technology Mission (HTM) by providing them loan at lower rate of interest from HP State Cooperative Bank. This was stated by Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting at Jukhala, district Bilaspur, after he dedicated and laid foundation stones of various developmental milestones in the area, valued at Rs. 17 crore, today. He said that loanee who had borrowed loan @ 15.75 percent rate of interest from Nationalised Banks would be provided loan at concessional rate of interest. Loanees with repayment liabilities of upto rupees three lakh would be provided loan @ 7 percent and others beyond the limit of rupees three lakh @ 11 percent, so that they could clear their loan liabilities with nationalised banks and later return the loan to HP State Cooperative Bank.

Chief Minister said that commerce classes would also be introduced in Government Degree College, Jukhala and local training would be provided in different vocational courses. He said that seven patwar circles, presently under sub-tehsil Namhol would now be under Bilaspur Sadar Tehsil as per the demand of the people. He said that educational and health institutions would also be opened in the segment. He said that efforts would be made to open Kharsi Police Post on priority to cater to the law and order demand of the people. He also sanctioned 50 additional hand pumps to be bored in different places on demand basis. He said that every retail outlet under Public Distribution System would be required to display rates of the commodities with stock position.

Prof. Dhumal said that the State Government had spent Rs. 144 crore over various IPH schemes in Kot Kehloor segment of district Bilaspur during past four years. He said that there was economic revolution in the State and people now have higher paying capacity due to the progressive policies and programmes envisioned and implemented by the State Government. He said that developmental activities worth Rs. 225 crore were undertaken by PWD alone in district Bilaspur during past four years which included construction of 225 kms. of new roads, mettling and tarring of 220 kms roads besides renewal-coat of 425 kms. of roads besides, constructing 125 new buildings, which was a record development in the district. He said that irrigation facilities were being revolutionised in the state by creating additional water harvesting structures to feed farmland with irrigation facilities. He said that state had minimum exodus of population from villages to urban areas in the country and 90 percent of its population was living in rural areas.

Prof. Dhumal said that State Government had endeavoured to create quality infrastructure in rural areas so that rural masses were benefitted with all basic facilities. He said that the State Government had recruited over 18,000 teachers in education department and 2,000 nurses and para-medics, including medical officers, ayurvedic medical officers and dental doctors. He said that over 30 thousand youth were given employment in government sector alone while over 65 thousand employment avenues were created in industrial sector. He said that one more IRB was likely to be created to generate additional employment to 800 youth. He said that the previous Congress government had provided employment to only 3,386 people, which speak of the concern it had towards eradicating unemployment problem. C

Chief Minister was presented a draft of rupees one lakh by Madan, contractor of Degree College Building, as contribution towards Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Anurag Thakur, MP Lok Sabha, said that BJP and Development were synonym of each other and was known for good governance. He said that it was surprising to note that Government of India had fixed the norm of Rs. 28 daily for sustenance of an individual in the country which was impractical and joke with people striving for their livelihood who were struggling to make their both ends meet. He lauded the efforts of the State of providing relief to common man to beat rising prices and provide subsidy on essential commodities, domestic power and other self employment schemes. He criticised UPA for discriminating with non-Congress rules states by creating hurdles in the path of development. He said that Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha had started Congress Hatao – Desh Bachao’ agitation against UPA from June 10 to June 20 while voluntary arrests would be courted by activists on June 23 all over the country to protect against price rise, unemployment, corruption and other failures of the Centre.

Randhir Sharma, local MLA and Party Spokesman, welcomed the Chief Minister to his home segment. He said that Rs. 90 crore had been spent over road construction in the segment besides Rs. six crore drinking water supply scheme was under construction for Naina Devi area. He said that Rs. 56 crore worth of IPH activities had taken place in the segment. He said that Rs. 16.5 crore had also been sanctioned for infrastructure development of educational institutions and Rs. eight crore on health institutions buildings in the segment. He thanked for providing 30 percent carriage to local transporters in cement companies. He thanked for Rs. 90 crore Changer Irrigation Project, First Women IRB, IPH Circle and Hydro Engineering College in the district.

Suresh Chandel, former MP and National Vice President, BJP Kisan Morcha, said that the schemes implemented during past four years were likely to benefit the state immensely in coming time. Subhash Sharma, General Secretary, BJP Kisan Morcha thanked Chief Minister him for providing Rs. 1196 crore worth of subsidies under different schemes to strengthen the agriculture, dairy farming and shephard avocations.

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